The Chairman of Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, Honourable Alex Oladimeji, has been accused of contributing to the kingship tussle rocking Ijare community. The throne became vacant two years ago when Oba Adebamigbe Oluwagbemigun, Kokotiri II, passed on. After his demise, the process of picking a new king by the royal family and kingmakers became a challenge due to the litigation arising from the illegal exclusion of Prince Kola Oyewole.
The Sejeokun Ruling House had dragged the kingmakers to court for the unlawful exclusion of Prince Oyewole who was their candidate for the throne. Thirteen people applied to fill the vacancy, but four people were screened out by the royal family. Oyewole was one of them.
A group known as the Concerned Ijare Indigenes alleged that Prince Oyewole and others who were illegally excluded constitutef a threat to the candidate who some people wanted to impose on the community. The Sejeokun ruling house had to run to court and asked the court to stop the selection process until their candidate was added to the list.
Hon Oladimeji was accused of influencing the list because he had a special interest in who becomes the next traditional ruler of the community. The youth of the community had to stage a protest and called on the government to give fair hearing to all the candidates instead of screening out any one of them.
Responding to the allegation, Oladimeji said that he lacked the power to impose a new king on the town, considering the various chieftaincy laws in the state.
He described the allegation as unfounded and assured that the due process would be followed. According to him, the mass protest in the town was not against him but against the leader of the kingmakers, Chief Wemimo Olaniyan, for delaying the process of picking a new Olujare.
Oladimeji noted that there were rules and regulations guiding the selection of a new king in Ijare and neighbouring communities, particularly the Ondo State Chieftaincy Law, which nobody can influence.
He explained that there was no way he could influence anybody to emerge as the king or force anybody in his town. According to the council chairman, he is not a member of the (Ijare) royal family, and he is not part of the people that screened the Princes, nor is he part of the Kingmakers (Afobaje).
